NAD Establishes Ad Hoc Committee on Interpreting

Andrew J. Lange, president of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) announced the recent establishment of an ad hoc Interpreting Committee. The purpose of the committee is to address Video Relay Services (VRS) and its impact on the deaf and interpreting communities.

President Lange appointed Sherri L. Collins to serve as chair of this ad hoc committee. "Sherri is a nationally-recognized advocate who has worked toward improving communication access, support services, and community empowerment," said Lange. "I am confident that this committee will be productive and accomplish great things with Sherri’s leadership as chair," he continued.

Sherri Lambert Collins serves as executive director of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. In addition to numerous community awards for her leadership, Collins was awarded the Oticon "Focus on People" award in 2003 and a joint award in 2002 for "Outstanding Service to the Profession of Sign Language Interpreters" from the National Association of the Deaf and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Collins was recently appointed by the Arizona Governor to the Board of the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), and named the chair of the national Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program Association (TEDPA). Collins is a graduate of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. and holds a Masters in Education from North Carolina State University.

"I am pleased to chair the NAD Ad Hoc Committee on Video Relay Service, and welcome the opportunity to review issues related to VRS on a national level," said Sherri Collins. "VRS presents amazing communication breakthroughs for the Deaf community as well as long-term challenges to keep quality and accessibility for all integral to the service."

The NAD recognizes that there is a very serious shortage of interpreters available for work in the community as a result of the explosion in popularity of VRS. The committee’s charge will be to research and develop an extensive report on VRS and the interpreting community to determine the impact of VRS on the provision of interpreting services to deaf and hard of hearing consumers and to recommend strategies on how to address this national crisis.

Serving on the committee with Collins are: Ed Bosson, Texas; Judith Gilliam, Alabama; Claudia Lee, Michigan; Bob Lichtenberg, Washington; Richard McCowin, Nebraska; Mark Morales, Maryland; Cathy McLeod, California; Kara Russell, West Virginia; David Weiss, California. NAD Board liaisons are Secretary Nancy B. Rarus and Region II Board Member Bobbie Beth Scoggins.